Postby scaravich » Thu May 23, 2013 4:28 am
I think death by elements is scary no matter which element we talk about.
Chained to something heavy and tossed in the ocean to ground? Death by water is terrifying.
Trapped in a burning building with no way to get out? Death by fire is terrifying.
Fall into quicksand or buried alive? Death by earth is terrifying.
Breathing toxic gas to suffocate to death? Death by air is terrifying.
Anyway, fire does not manifest itself simply in things that are on fire on earth. Fire exists in the heat from the sun, and the life that heat brings to earth. A lot of plants have a fire affinity. One way to raise your affinity with and connect to fire is to feel the sun's kiss on a summer day.
Litha will be here soon, a grand fire festival! Enjoy the day outside, feeling the warmth of the sun. Realize that this is the power of the God and his firey passions. Think about how that makes you feel as you bask in the light and warmth. Have a cookout. Grill veggies over a flame. Note how the fire prepares the food and changes its taste. When you eat it, think about how you're eating something created with fire. Think about how that makes you feel.
On that night, attend a bonfire if you can, or perhaps hold your own. Look into the magestic fire. Feel its power, its strength, and its passion. Think about how that makes you feel.
You seem to have already started your connections with fire. Allowing fire to make you feel calm and less insecure (Fire's healing power comes from "burning away" negative energies and changing them to positive ones. Fire is an element of change.). Fire is also an element of strong will and passion. These can make you feel strong.
Think about things you are passionate about. It might be a social cause, it might be art, it might even be lustful desires. These passions are fire's embodiment within you. A lot of people can connect to fire by feeling it in their own passion.
For practical use, a fireplace, even if it starts with electricity, as long as it creates real flame, can be a good tool to observe and meditate on fire. You can also go into a very dark room and light a single candle. Watch the flame dance. Make sure you see nothing but the flame. Concentrate deeply on this image and how it makes you feel. Meditate on these feelings. You can do this with the fireplace, too, if you have the chance to sit in front of it in the dark. In fact, this is probably better because you can feel the heat, too! But it's good to observe fire in many forms... a big, roaring flame like a bonfire... a controlled but warming flame like a fireplace... a small and flighty flame like a candle... even sparks and embers, dulling charcoals... and less literal flame, and the impact fire can have on the environment -- our passions, cooked foods, hot beverages, and plants that thrive in lots of sunlight (like tomatoes or sunflowers), and the greatest manifestation of fire in our lives, the sun!
